Alain was introduced to me as the guy who could turn the wildest ideas into real-life magic. He swears his career path was a coincidence—but the way he’s shaped experiences, festivals, and unforgettable moments feels anything but accidental.
From founding Beanstalk (aka the engine behind countless iconic events), to co-piloting Cotton Fest with Riky Rick, Alain’s fingerprints are all over the cultural map. His curiosity is his compass, and somehow, it keeps taking him to the most unexpected and brilliant places.
Here’s a little glimpse into the human behind the magic.
"A country without documentary films is like a family without a photo album."
This quote by Patricio Guzmán, the Chilean filmmaker, is one that always resonates with me—especially in conversations with Jack. Jack and I have always shared a deep devotion to South African documentaries and the way they captured the pulse of Mzansi in the ’80s and ’90s.
That same spirit is a driving force behind Jack’s work. His writing and films offer a window into the vibrant melting pot of Johannesburg, South Africa—woven together with fashion, music, humor, and narrative.
“The Mayor’s Grandson…”—the title of a documentary I dream of making about my dear friend, Jack Markovitz. It’s a running joke between us, something we talk about every time we see each other.
But first, here’s an introduction to the human behind the story.
The sacrifices our parents make in raising us are often not fully understood until we grow older or become parents ourselves. The way our parents shape our perspectives as children deeply influences how we perceive the world as adults.
As young people, there is so much we can learn from the older generation. But, equally, older folk have much to gain from the wisdom of the younger.
Muzi, a man who deeply reveres his father—an entrepreneur—shares his personal journey through entrepreneurship and fatherhood, shedding light on the timeless principles passed down by his dad. Growing up in Soweto, Muzi never could have imagined that selling billboards would become a career. It all began with one simple wall mural.
Those who have embarked on the entrepreneurial journey will tell you — being an entrepreneur is a rollercoaster ride of exhilarating highs and challenging lows.
Many entrepreneurs will also tell you that, when stepping into the world of business, it’s crucial to learn how to protect your heart. Running a business often means making decisions that are right for the company, even when they don’t align with your emotions. While entrepreneurs are certainly not emotionless, they know when to step back and recognize when it’s time to move on.
Vicky Ross, a seasoned entrepreneur with a rich background in retail, property, and the creative industry, shares her journey. Her extensive experience has opened doors for her to contribute her expertise to a variety of successful ventures.
A true Joburger at heart, Vicky was raised by an accountant father and a creative mother, and she reflects on how this unique upbringing has shaped her understanding of people, business, and culture.
Matthew Edwards, also known as Matte Binery, opens up about his deep love for football growing up and how his hometown of Joburg shaped his creative journey.
Through his design work, Matte brings his vivid imagination to life, often through unconventional projects that push boundaries.
In this conversation, we dive into the people who raised him and helped shape his path. Here’s a glimpse into Matte’s world
It’s wild to think that kids who once threw parties in the backyards of their parents’ homes in the south of Johannesburg have journeyed so far that they’re now among Mzansi’s biggest exports, connecting the dots across Europe. Solo and his collective, Backyard, didn’t just throw parties—they built a community.
I’ve always jokingly called Solo a “serious party analyst” or a “knower of a good time.” But there’s real science behind turning a party into a brand, and that’s a conversation I’ve always found fascinating.
In this interview, Solo shares his journey through the streets of Joburg, the evolution of the Backyard brand, and the lessons learned along the way.
Childlikeness is a rare quality, and when someone with it crosses our path, they often stay for a lifetime.
I had the honor of hosting my good friend Simphiwe Khumalo, founder and creative director of Studio Banana (@studio_bananaaa), on the Maak ’n Plan podcast.
Our friendship is a constant reminder to take life seriously but not ourselves—an underrated key to success.
Mzonke reminds us that the key to a healthy life, is living in honesty. Honest in the human being you are. Honest in the way you love. Honest in your art.
I had a beautiful conversation with writer and film director, who’s now become restauranteur (Babbi) in Joburg and shared a lovely dialogue about film making, life after 30, the state of the world and more.
To open season 3, we are joined by founder and creator of Maak 'n Plan podcast shares what has been on his heart for the past year or so. The interview conducted by close friend, Tiisesto Molobi, who is also known as Urban Mosadi. The two shares a heartwarming conversation about Bathandwa's upbringing, his devotion for Joburg and what it means to wear your heart on your sleeve.
On this episode of Maak ‘n Plan, Vuyo McGlad shares his journey on how they are incubating ideas & shaping culture and community through his event property NarowBi.
On this episode of Maak ‘n Plan, Andiswa & Kefiloe share their journey on how they are incubating ideas & shaping culture and community through their event property Other Village People.
Live from Bacardi Holiday Club, we caught up with NKULEY for Spotify Freshly Squeezed's Live podcast experience.
My motivation is making Maak n Plan this humanistic place where people can share their experiences and emotions openly, even those who seems to be stoic at times. Loyiso, a brother who seems like they can to
endure hardship without showing any emotion.
Got to pick Loyiso’s brain on many different things. Things like the power of sports, legacy, the responsibility of being uBhut’ omdala, politics etc. My personal stand out from the conversation is ‘Being 40 means having a good network of people around you.’ Loyiso speaks highly about the importance of having impactful connections with people from all different backgrounds.
Anyhow, please enjoy the episode with South African comedy royalty, Loyiso Gola.
Russell ‘Yay Abe’ Abrahams illustrator & art director who comes from a lineage of painters / drawers, shares his story of becoming. Russell, (like many of us) grew using Hip-Hop as a string board that allowed him to shape his views of the world. The early 2000’s & 2010’s were the golden age modern age breakdancing & crumping, with reference to movies like Step Up, Stump The Yard and You Got Served.
Russell who’s adopted the alias ‘Yay Abe’ as a celebration of his family name as the umbrella for his dreams, describes taking on art as a subject at a very late grade in school, grade 11. Through the emblems of learning and becoming, he cracked the gates to the cooperate world quite early. At the age of 19, his illustrations were living through juice box’s in Woolies for many years and this time spent in cooperate South Africa, redirected him to his lifelong purpose of wanting to play with colour, captivating visual language and make murals that speaks for a colourful tomorrow.
‘Yay Abe’ has grown to have its own distinctive identity and has been apart of many ground breaking projects and conversations. Here’s a window into who’s the human being behind the art.
One simple step starts a journey of a thousand miles. These words is a testament to the path walked by Nox and on this episode we get insight of her pivoting from chapter to chapter. Nox shares that her favourite subject/ main source of inspiration is the black child, and that she leans on the interests of this subject as a guide to get the job done. We learn about the importance of journalism in South Africa and how this medium afforded Nox many opportunities.
Richard Average hailing from Macassar, who’s known for his insane use colour and line work shares his the idea of forgiving yourself. We learn about the importance of sensitivity towards self. Richard also explains the journey of once being an out of towner and slowly migrating to being an inner city person. We explore the things he likes, influences, support structure and more.
Muzi aka Zulu Skywalker delves into what life has been like during his sabbatical. We are provided a window of where he is mentally, in a very humanistic conversation.
